Semiconductor manufacturing consists of a complex set of processes. These processes include three main building blocks: (i) deposition of thin films of material on a substrate, (ii) applying a patterned mask on top of the films by photolithographic imaging, and (iii) etching the films selectively to the mask. These three main building blocks must be rigorously calibrated and monitored to minimize defects.
The manufacture of semiconductor devices can vary depending on the devices or structures being manufactured. Some of these manufacturing processes have inherent issues, which can lead to defects in the underlying substrate. For example, the bonding or growth patterns of certain materials can lead to lattice mismatch issues, resulting in defects to the underlying substrate. More specifically, growing certain materials within confined spaces, e.g., trenches, can result in defects to the underlying substrate, due to a large lattice mismatch with respect to the underlying substrate, e.g., Si. Along with a large lattice mismatch is large threading dislocation densities, which adversely impact device yield. For example, using III-V materials or Ge film grown directly on Si, the threading dislocation density at the surface can be above 108/cm2, which will considerably negatively impact device yield.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described hereinabove.